German Chancellor to pay official visit to Viet Nam

This is the first visit of a German Chancellor to Viet Nam over the past more than a decade.

Since the two countries elevated ties to strategic partnership in 2011, two-way trade doubled to US$11.2 billion in 2021. 

The figure hit US$6.2 billion in the first half of this year, up 15 percent on year. Germany is currently Viet Nam's largest EU trading partner.

As of May 31, Germany had 426 active investment projects worth US$2.31 billion in Viet Nam, while the Southeast Asian nation ran 36 projects totaling US$283.3 million in the European country.

On March 31, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz held a phone conversation, during which Vietnamese Party chief stated that Viet Nam attaches importance to the strategic partnership with Germany as part of its foreign policy of multilateralization and diversification, and of being a friend, reliable partner and an active and responsible member in the international community.

He suggested the two countries should enhance political relations, including exchanges of high-ranking delegations, and promote the relations between the Communist Party of Viet Nam and political parties of Germany, including the ruling Social Democratic Party.

Nguyen also suggested lifting cooperation between the two countries in investment, trade, science, technology, education, national defense and security to a new level in conformity with their strategic partnership.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz affirmed that Germany attaches great importance to the nations' strategic partnership which is developing robustly and has much potential for further growth. 

He suggested the two countries step up political cooperation bilaterally and at international forums; as well as their partnership in economy, including optimizing the advantages of the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement and promoting Germany-invested projects in Viet Nam, in climate change adaptation, and in COVID-19 prevention and control.